Peter left the tent just as Venus was drifting off to sleep. He would have stayed in there all night with them, but it wasn't his place.  It was Mars's.  It's what Venus wanted. She had made her choice, and Peter knew it.   Even though she tried to hide it, Peter saw the pain in her eyes every time she saw Mars and Bridget together.

All Peter could do was stick by her, be the supportive friend, and hope that maybe someday she'll turn to him and want him.

Peter spent most of the night tossing and turning, trying to resist going and checking on the new mother.  He knew she needed her sleep and didn't want to disturb her.  When morning finally did come, he headed for the Mess tent to get breakfast for himself and for Venus.

As Peter got close to the food tent he could hear a couple arguing.  It wasn't until he passed the couple that he realized who it was that was arguing.

"So you're going to run off this morning too?" Bridget asked Mars.

Mars stood next tot he tent with two plates piled up with food, and a bundle of something tucked under his arm.  He looked torn between whatever Bridget wanted and whatever he was planning on doing.

"I'm not running off Bri.  I'm just taking breakfast to her.  She's gotta be starving,"  he told her.

Peter's heart sank.  He knew that Mars was talking about Venus.  If Mars was planning on taking her breakfast he knew he'd had to just sit back and let him.  He was the dad, it was his place and not Peter's.  Besides, Venus would have much rather Mars bring it than him anyway.  Peter would have to wait until later to check up on her.  With slumped shoulders, he went into the tent to get his own food and leave the arguing couple alone.

"But your planning on eating with her.  We always have breakfast together and now you're running off to have breakfast with her.  I'm your girlfriend, not her."

"I know and that isn't going to change just because I have breakfast with V, and check on my kids."

Bridget sighed, "So this is just about your kids?"

"Yes, I didn't get to spend a lot of time with them last night, and I'm a little anxious to check up on them."

"Fine," Bridget sighed.

Mars gave her a reassuring smile.  "Thanks for understanding," he said.

"Go on," she huffed, still not completely happy that he was going to spend the morning with Venus.

Mars leaned over and gave her a quick kiss before heading off to Venus's tent.

When Mars went into Venus's tent he found her still asleep with the babies resting next to her.  Mars wasn't sure if he should wake her or not, but he didn't want her food getting cold.

He set the food and the bundle down on the floor of the tent and quietly sat next to his family.  It was amazing to see the two babies.  Growing up with the purpose of breeding Mars had never seen babies before.  It seemed unreal that they would grow into adults one day or that he was ever that little.

"Mars?" He heard Venus hoarsely whisper.

"I brought you breakfast," he quietly told her.

She slowly sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.  She was still sore and her body didn't want to cooperate as she tried to move.

"I'll bring it to you," Mars offered.

"It's alright," she said, "I want to try and get out of this bed."

Mars helped her up and she carefully made her way to the food.  It smelled divine and her tummy rumbled in anticipation.

"You look exhausted," Mars stated.

Venus nodded as she took a big bite of her breakfast.  "They were up a lot last night," she told him, "I didn't know babies ate so much."

Mars looked over at the sleeping babies and wanted to pick one up so badly.  He reached over and gently caressed the soft dark hair of little Pepa.

"Thank you for breakfast," Venus said.

"I wanted to make sure the babies were doing good, and keep you healthy for them," he replied.

His response seemed cold and uncaring, at least toward Venus, and it hurt.  He wasn't there for her, just the babies.

"Do you want to hold one?" she asked, noticing he couldn't take his eyes off them.

"It won't wake them?"

"It shouldn't," she told him, "they ate not too long ago and are probably still in a food coma."

Mars gently picked up his son and cradled him in his arms and Venus helped him with Pepa by placing her in her dad's arms.  Both babies didn't seem to notice the move and curled into their father's warmth.

"I thought of a name for our boy," Mars told her.

Venus's eyes grew wide.  She didn't expect him to come up with a name and she had her heart set of Valentine.  She was curious to hear what Mars had come up with and sat quietly in the corner waiting to hear it.

"Dex," he said looking up at her to see her reaction.  Venus didn't move, she just quietly sat there and pondered the name for a bit.  

Mars assumed her lack of response meant she hated it and his eyes fell back on their two children, "It's a character from a  book that I read while I was in the Cube.  It was a book that wasn't approved for us to read, but Pepa thought I might like it and snuck it into me.  Pepa was my medic too and I thought it was a way to sort of honor her.  She risked so much for us, it just seemed fitting that both kids honor her memory."

"What's the book about?" Venus asked.

"It's about a boy that was born in a world where machines rule the world.  Humans are used for physical labor that machines can't.  Dex and some of his friends decided to stand up against the machines."

"What happened in the end?" Venus asked.

"Dex died, but he ended up freeing the entire human race.  I'm sure the Cube didn't want any of us reading a book about rebellion, but I was so grateful that Pepa was willing to risk her job just to bring me a book."

Both of them sat there quietly before Mars finally said, "I'm sure you and Peter came up with something else for him. And after what I saw you go through last night to get them here I know I have no right to say what you should and shouldn't name them, but, damn it, I'm their dad, not Peter.  I should at least get a vote."

"I know," Venus said.

"You know but you don't care. right?" Mars grumbled.

"I do care, Mars," she sighed.

"But?" he said waiting for the excuse she had to name their son after her boyfriend or whatever they had chosen the night before.

"But nothing, I think we should name him Dex," she told him.

Mars looked at her with a surprised grin, "Really?"

"Yes," she laughed, "you're right.  You're his dad you should get a say, and I can't argue with your reason why you want to name him Dex, so...Dex it is."

Mars beamed at the his two kids, "Dex and Pepa," he whispered.

Venus smiled and took in the sight of the tiny babies in their dad's big arms and quietly confirmed, "Dex and Pepa."

A/N:

Lawd! Opinions were flying in the last chapter. 😉  Can't tell you how wonderful it is that you guys have such strong opinions on this book.  It means a lot to me that you care so much.  So my Peter lovers aren't probably too crazy about this chapter, but I always planned on Mars stepping up after the babies where born so don't get too mad at me. I'm not saying she's going to end up with Mars...I'm also not saying she isn't either.  It's still a mystery.  I do know that no one is going to be happy with this writer with a few chapters, lol.

Thank you so much for reading love hearing from you guys.

❤,

Reading Mermaid08